AUSTIN McHALE powered his Castrol/2FM Toyota Celica GT4 to an unchallenged victory over Donegal's Paul Harris in a Subaru Legacy on the three-day Shell Unleaded Donegal International Rally, which has also given the Rathcoole driver an unassailable lead in the Tarmac Rally Championship.

McHale has now won three Internationals this year - Galway, The Lakes and Donegal and was second on the Circuit of Ireland, his most successful season ever in Irish rallying.

Second by Paul Harris was a tremendous achievement, the Donegal driver beating the Ford Escort Cosworth trio of Peadar Hurson, Eamonn Boland and Pete Doughty. Tom Spence was sixth in the ex-Bertis Fisher Subaru Impreza, ahead of Subaru Legacy drivers Daniel Doherty and Niall Maguire. Connie Smith of Ballyjamesduff again posted one of his spectacular drives to finish ninth in his "outdated" Ford Escort Mk.2, beating the Subaru Impreza of Group N winner Tony Kearns.

Donal Loughrey won the only Irish Championship race at yesterday's Mondello meeting, the Dublin driver beating Ulsterman Adrian Pollock and Jonathan Fildes (Clonsilla) in a race which saw Vivion Daly and Ken Grandon in a tangle at the first corner which caused their retirement. Loughrey now leads the DHL Formula Opel Championship on 94 points from Daly (75).